Local Robotics Teams to Compete in Perham

Detroit Lakes , MN (KDLM)-

Robotics teams from Frazee, Detroit Lakes and Perham will be among those competing in a regional robotics championship later this month.

The Northern Minnesota Robotics Conference Championship is scheduled for Friday, October 23, at the Perham Area Community Center, followed by an open tournament on Saturday, October 24. During the championship, the conference will also announce its Volunteer of the Year, Coach of the Year and Students of the Year.

Frazee Kaotic Robotics coach Eric Schaefer says his students will be helping with the competition as well as taking part.

Schaefer says one of the things he appreciates most about the conference is how teams support one another. If a team has trouble with a robot, whether it’s a building issue, a programming problem or a missing part, other teams are ready to lend a hand.

He says robotics gives students a place to learn and belong. Some go on to careers involving robotics, while others gain valuable experience working as a team and problem solving.

The weekend will bring together 28 teams for Friday’s championship and 24 teams for Saturday’s open tournament. Students will compete in this year’s FIRST Robotics Competition game, REBUILT, testing their engineering, programming, driving, strategy and teamwork skills.

The competition is free and open to the public.

For those who can’t attend in person, both days will be livestreamed at YourLiveEvent.com.